Association Between Tooth Loss and Bone Mineral Density in Brazilian Postmenopausal Women

BACKGROUND: To evaluate oral health in postmenopausal women and verify whether there is a correlation between tooth loss according to index of decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) and bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 women. The DMFT and its associations with lumbar and femoral BMD (T-score and g/cm(2)) were assessed. Analysis of covariance and multiple logistic regression were applied and the mean and standard deviation, absolute and relative frequencies (percentages) were obtained. RESULTS: The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed significant association between the DMFT index and bone mass (T-score), compared to the young adult in L2-L4 (P = 0.0252) and in bone mass in L2-L4 (below average) in g/cm(2) and in the DMFT index (P = 0.0332), and for women with bone mass below the average index DMFT was higher. Between L2-L4 below average (g/cm(2)) and extracted component (P = 0.0483) association was also significant because women with bone mass below the average had a greater extracted component. CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal women with poor oral health may present reduced bone mass. There was significant association between BMD and DMFT at the L2-L4 site. Women must be advised that their good oral health, amount and quality of bone mass should also be matters of concern. KEYWORDS: Bone mineral density; Post-menopausal; Osteoporosis; Tooth loss